RED FUR CAT and UGLY TOAD

[Exempt from “Chuan’s Folklore and common Fairy Tales”, Imperial Edition edition.
Origins of “Red Fur Cat and Ugly Toad” (红毛猫和丑蟾蜍, Hóng Máo Māo hé Chǒu Chánchú) are pretty unknown, most likely born from common myths of popular cat cult, mashed together, which most likely can explain peculiar characters for the eponymous main character of a tale, Red Fur Cat. Most likely said tale is partially allegorical tale about crisis of succession, which can explain vilification of the Demon Ice King (冰魔王, Bīng Mówáng). Date of origins unknown, most possibly they go back to the Jianjun dynasty.

Chuan is famous for its reverence for cats, and most tales and myths are centered around cats and cat-like creatures, alongside oddities and anomalies, such as turtles, owls, wolves, pigs and moths. Red Fur Cat and Ugly Toad is a popular tale, with several different versions and variations. Version presented below is one of the earlier versions of such tale, most likely sanitized and censored for younger audience]

Red Fur Cat and Ugly Toad.

Once upon a time, there was a Red Fur Cat that lived in a small house on a hill. Its house was small and poor, but it was more than enough for a Red Fur Cat.

One day, while the Red Fur Cat was near the river, looking for a fatty fish for dinner, it heard how someone was crying. Curious, Red Fur Cat has searched for who could cry so bitterly, and found a small, pathetic, disgusting Ugly Toad, crying bitter tears.
-Hey, Ugly Toad! - Asked Red Fur Cat to Ugly Toad - Why do you cry, so bitterly and loud?! You're scaring my fish away!
-Oh woe to me, woe to me! - cried Ugly Toad - I was not always Ugly Toad! I was once the most beautiful girl in the whole village! But the Demon Ice King, heartless and jealous, once saw my beauty, demanded to become his concubine! I refused, and the furious Demon Ice King has turned me into this Ugly Toad! And he said until I change my mind, I'll stay this small, pathetic and disgusting Ugly Toad! Oh woe to me, woe to me!

Being a virtuous being, Red Fur Cat could not abide the wails of this Toad. Puffing her chest, Red Fur Cat proudly said:
- Don't worry, Ugly Toad! I will find that brute, and make him change you back!
For once, Ugly Toad stopped her ugly tears:
- But how, Red Fur Cat? The Demon Ice King is big and strong, living deep in the mountains! He commands snow and fire, and he ate many brave heroes and wise sages!
- Hah! - said Red Fur Cat, - he may be strong and villainous, but I am virtuous and smart! Just you wait, Ugly Toad, for I am the Red Fur Cat, princess of the whole Cat Kingdom, will free you from Demon King’s sorcery!
And so, Red Fur Cat embarked on its journey to the Demon King’s castle. Before her journey, Red Fur Cat grabbed a broken pot, rusty knife, and stale bread.

As Red Fur Cat was traveling along the way, she found Lame Fox, caught in a poacher’s net. Being a virtuous being, Red Fur Cat has freed Lame Fox with its knife.
- Thank you, Red Fur Cat! - Bowed Lame Fox - I am forever in your debt!
- Then help me to destroy the Demon Ice King! - proudly said Red Fur Cat - For he is a heartless brute!

And so, Red Fur Cat and Lame Fox have begun traveling together. Then, they found a Cowardly Monkey, sitting on a tree, surrounded by wolves. Being a virtuous being, Red Fur Cat chased Wolves away from Cowardly Monkey by using stale bread, making think wolves it’s a juicy piece of meat.
- Thank you, Red Fur Cat! - Kowtowed Cowardly Monkey - I am forever in your debt!
- Then help me to destroy the Demon Ice King - proudly said Red Fur Cat - For he is a villain without peers!

And so, Red Fur Cat, Lame Fox and Cowardly Monkey have begun traveling together. And lastly, they found Mute Rooster, trapped in an Ogre’s pot. Being a virtuous being, Red Fur Cat saved Mute Rooster, by plucking him out from the Ogre’s pot using a broken clay pot.
- Thank you, Red Fur Cat - scratched on a dirt Mute Rooster - I am forever in your debt!
- Then help me to destroy the Demon Ice King - proudly said Red Fur Cat - for he is a cruel and wicked master!

And thus, Red Fur Cat, Lame Fox, Cowardly Monkey and Mute Rooster traveled together, until they reached the Demon Ice King domain. But before they could reach his castle, they must first traverse his realm, which consisted of Hungry Ghosts Caverns, Endless Ravine and Demon Snake Plains.

Hungry Ghosts Caverns were a dreadful place, full of hungry ghosts, bloodthirsty jiangshi and venomous spirits, all that were formed from souls of heroes and sages that dared to oppose Demon Ice King. But they were crushed, and their souls were damned to live in this caverns, preying upon brave and unfortunate ones.
- How scary! - howled Cowardly Monkey, clinging to his compatriots. - We must go back, for this place is dark and awful!
- There is no light! - scribbled out Mute Rooster - We must go back to the sun!
- Dont worry! - said Lame Fox, valiantly, - i will guide you through this cavern! Follow me, for I am a saintly being, thus no ghost can harm me!
And thus, Lame Fox showed the way out from Hungry Ghosts Caverns, purifying these gloomy caves and exorcizing evil ghosts, making them safe to traverse forevermore.

And when they left Hungry Ghosts Caverns, they stumbled upon Endless Ravine, so deep and vast that if you fall into it, you will fall for days without seeing the bottom! And if you are careful where you step, you will be impaled by the sharp rocks.
- Im blind, I surely will fall into this deep pit! - complained Lame Fox
- It's too vast for me, I can't fly through it! - lamented Mute Rooster with scratchings.
- Dont worry! - said Cowardly Monkey - I will build a mighty bridge through this ravine! I may be small and cowardly, but I can build things like no one can!
And thus in a flash, the Cowardly Monkey built a mighty stone bridge, wide and long, so wide you can fit three carts easily on it!

But after they left the bridge, our heroes stepped into the Demon Snake Plain, last stretch before the Demon Ice King castle. Here, lived a vicious and ancient demonic serpent that once swallowed the whole army that tried to subjugate the Demon Ice King! It burrowed deep in plains and was able to lay traps upon unsuspecting travelers
- Scary, scary! - wailed Cowardly Monkey - We are doomed! Demon Snake will gobble us for sure!
- I can deal with ghosts and spirits, but not the demons! - lamented Lame Fox.
- Stand back! - proudly puffed his chest said Mute Rooster, - i can conquer this Snake Demon!
And thus, Mute Rooster leaped forward and when Demon Snake showed up, swallowed it up like it was not a Demon Snake, but a common worm!

And at long last, our heroes were standing before the Demon Ice King gates. It was a gloomy and evil looking tower, bones of heroes strewn around barren soil and only ice and snow was the only nourishment for anyone foolish to live here. Truly, a place for the Demon Ice King to squat, poisoning air and land with its noxious fumes!
- Thank you for your valiant help, Lame Fox, Cowardly Monkey and Mute Rooster! - said Red Fur Cat to its companions - When I come back, I will reward you with Demon Ice King riches!
-Oh woe to us, woe to us! - cried Cowardly Monkey - You poor, poor Red Fur Cat will surely fail, for the Demon Ice King is capable of turning blood to ice with its glare!
- And turn into monstrous beings at a whim! - wailed Lame Fox.
Even Mute Rooster shed a single tear for a small Red Fur Cat, sure of her impending demise!
-FOOLS! - screamed Red Fur Cat, holding her head high - I AM THE RED FUR CAT, REGAL, MAGNANIMOUS, GLORIOUS AND VIRTUOUS! No Demon can ever defeat me, even as vile as Demon Ice King! Wait here for three days, and upon the third day, I will emerge victorious and triumphant!
And thus, Red Fur Cat strutted into Demon Ice King castle, as her companions were mourning over her gloriously silky fur.

In the castle itself, Red Fur Cat witnesses the most gruesome and vile scenes of debauchery and treachery. The floor was littered with bones of valiant heroes, their pure souls were chained to walls and used as lanterns. The air was filled with sobbing and wails most pitiful, and smells of blood, rot and polluted snow permeating in these accursed halls. But Red Fur Cat was valiant and mindful of its purpose.

At long last, she reached the throne room, where the Demon Ice King meditated. He looked upon the small and innocent looking Red Fur Cat, which was pretty busy washing herself from muck and dirt of the castle.
- HAR HAR HAR! - roared Demon Ice King - And this is my newest challenger?! Oh me, oh my, you are such a small and weak creature, I will surely crush you with only my pinky finger!
He tried to grab Red Fur Cat with its gigantic hands, but Red Fur Cat gracefully dodged the assault of the Demon Ice King, for the Red Fur Cat is a gracious and virtuous being.
- Yawn, how boring you are at games, Demon Ice King! - purred Red Fur Cat, preeing itself once more. - No one can't catch a cat when they don't want to be catched!
-Harumph! - Huffed and puffed Demon Ice King, - well then, if i cant catch you, then i shall freeze you to death!

And Demon Ice King breathed out a snow storm so cold it could chill the hell itself! But Red Fur Cat, being a virtuous and austere being, just puffed its luxurious fur coat, completely negating the effects of this storm!
- Oh, you call this a deathly cold? I can barely feel it! - Smugly said Red Fur Cat.
- GRRRRRR! - roared Demon Ice King, furious at a Red Fur Cat easily avoiding its deathly sorcery. And then Demon Ice King turned itself into gigantic demon form, with three heads, body of a toad, paws of a tiger and crow wings!
But Red Fur Cat, a virtuous and sagacious being, saw through its trickery, and only flicked its tail, dispelling the mighty and fearsome Demon Ice King true form!
- You call this a fearsome transformation? Bah, I saw a turtle doing this the next day! Everyone can transform into such big and brute form! I bet you can’t turn into something small and simple, such as a mouse form!
-HARHARHAR! I CAN DO THAT EASILY, RED FUR CAT! WATCH THIS! - And the Demon Ice King turned itself into the common mouse.

And at this moment, Red Fur Cat pounced on Demon Ice King, killing it instantly. Suddenly, air around the former Demon Ice King castle transformed into the lush forest, full of life, trapped souls of valiant heroes were free and avenged, and even walls of this dreadful place were turned into glorious red! But most importantly, his vile sorcery dispelled, freeing the world from its yore!

Red Fur Cat emerged from the Demon Ice King’s castle with riches most valuable and rewarded her companions, returned to the Ugly Toad, which turned back into the jade beauty once more and all of them moved into a transformed Demon Ice King castle together, living happily ever after.

THE END.